Guides for duty-free shopping in Sanya

Haitangwan Duty-Free Shopping Center in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo by Xu Kaifei/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

If you are planning a trip to Sanya, the southernmost city on Hainan Island, I guess shopping at the world's largest duty-free store will be included in your not-to-miss list.

The new Haitangwan Duty-Free Shopping Center, covering around 120,000 sq m with a business area of 70,000 sq m, opened its doors on Sept 1 this year.

It has attracted nearly 300 international brands. For several of them, like Prada, Rolex and Giorgio Armani, it is the first time they have appeared in a DFS on the Chinese mainland.

Ok, before you start your shopping, you should know the following information.

1. Who is allowed to shop at Sanya DFS?

Domestic and foreign visitors who are above 16 years old, and will fly out of Hainan Island, but not in an outbound travel, including Hainan residents.

Foreigner visitors and visitors from China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, who are above 16 years old, and in an outbound travel flying from Sanya Phoenix Airport, instead of Haikou Meilan Airport.

2. How to shop?

Domestic visitors can buy things at the store with ID cards and their flight numbers. Foreign visitors have to show their passports or other valid documents, along with flight numbers.

You can choose to take the goods with you after the buying, and then ask for the tax refund at the airport when you are flying away.

Or you can choose to pick them up at the airport, where your things will be delivered directly to the airport and the tax reduction will be done at the store.

However, you have to remember that, if you choose to fly from Haikou Meilan International Airport, you have to finish you purchase one day ahead of your flight time, and for the Sanya Phoenix Airport passengers, it is 6 hours before your flight time.